Remember the DeLorean? That slow stainless-steel car that was funded by Big D. (John DeLorean) and, allegedly, Big C. (a certain white, powdery substance)? The collectible that started exploding in value a decade ago?
Well, it’s back … kinda. Seems John DeLorean’s daughter, Kat DeLorean Seymour, has teamed up with a company called DNG (DeLorean Next Generation) Motors to produce a modern iteration of Daddy’s car that will be built in Detroit (what were you expecting? Ireland?) The model is to be called the Model-JZD, which are the initials of John Zachary DeLorean. Though the patriarch passed away in 2005, his memory lives on thanks to pop culture via “Back To The Future.”
But wait a sec — isn’t there already a DeLorean revival going on? You would not be wrong in the least. This past August, the DeLorean Alpha5 made its debut at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Like many new exotics hitting the circuit, the Alpha5 will be electric, as well as a four-place GT. “There was this enormous responsibility to make sure we honored the history of the DeLorean brand, but an even greater responsibility in curating its future,” said the chief marketing officer of DeLorean, Troy Beetz. “I think we did both with the Alpha5.”
Alas, Kat DeLorean doesn’t agree. She’s been vocal about the Alpha 5 in social media. “@deloreanmotorcompany Is not John DeLorean’s Company. DMC is not 40 years old, and not associated with the DeLorean Family, or my father’s ongoing legacy. Please stop lying and stop speaking about John now, he despised you,” she posted on Instagram several months ago. In fact, AutoGuide reported in June that “Seymour claims to not have known anything about the company until she went to register the website domain name, only to find it had been taken by someone else. She insists the latest company isn’t affiliated with her, her brother Zach DeLorean, or anyone else in the DeLorean family,” making the point that she’s not happy about the implication the current DeLorean is from the same company that produced the original.
“Her engineering background, and direct involvement, make Kat the perfect successor to finish where John DeLorean left off,” says DNG Motors. “Kat is putting her father’s final business plan to work creating a car company based on the principles John DeLorean believed in such as quality, safety, longevity, and affordability.”
Currently, there are no technical details on the new vehicle from DNG Motors, so it may not be wrong to infer it will be an EV. According to the DNG Motors website, a proper unveiling will happen by the end of the 2022, with assembly beginning in January 2023. Sounds too good to be true? Keep up with Model-JZD news and see if this lofty goal can happen.
Source: www.classiccars.com